NBA Champion Props Miami Heat While Blasting Orlando Magic

Former NBA player Jason Williams was foruntate enough to play for the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic in his playing career.

He experienced the highs when he won a title with the Heat in 2006 as the starting point guard. He experienced the lows during a pre-draft workout with the Magic in 1998.

During a podcast recently, he expressed the differences between the organizations.

“You know how the Heat’s the best organization in the world,” Williams said. “That organization? You guys see the garbage truck driving around, right? You see the juice that’s dripping from the back? That’s the Magic. That’s the organization, not the team.”

Williams said the Magic asked him to workout against former Valparaiso guard Bryce Drew to decide who they were going to draft.

“I did my thang against Bryce Drew and their general manager called my agent and said `We’d like to bring Jason and Bryce back. We didn’t know who was more athletic.’ Well, that lit a fire under my (expletive).”‘

It ended up with Williams making quick work of Drew again in the workout.

Here’s what Williams said about the conversation with Magic coach Chuck Daly leading up to workout: “Before the work out starts, Chuck Daly says, `Come here., look, I know who’s more athletic. I know who’s’ more talented. They want to do this. We’re going to play one on one. I got a tee time in an hour. Let’s have this thing over in about 20 minutes.”‘

The Magic never had a chance to draft Williams because the Sacramento Kings took him at No. 7. Drew wound up with the Houston Rockets at No. 16.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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